Monthly Webinars

After each monthly webinar, a copy of the presentation as well as any additional resources will be posted here. Please take a moment to complete the very brief follow up survey under each webinar if you participated or listened to the recorded webinar. Thank you!

February 12th, 2019 – Partner, Help, Connect: How DSCC Supports Youth with Special Health Care Needs and Their Families

The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) is a statewide program that serves children and youth with special healthcare needs and their families.

Presenters for this webinar included:
• Thomas Jerkovitz, Executive Director, has led DSCC since 2009. He has a distinguished career in healthcare administration within the state of Illinois and in the private healthcare industry.
• Molly Hofmann, APRN, MSN, PCNS-BC, Associate Director of Care Coordination oversees the administration for the development and implementation of all Care Coordination operations, policies, and procedures for the Core and Home Care Programs.
• Darcy Contri, RN, BSN, MPH, Title V Program Transition Specialist provides support for transition age youth and their families since 1998.

The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) is a statewide program that serves children and youth with special healthcare needs and their families. DSCC staff help families find the specialty care and resources they need for their child to reach their full potential.

January 8th, 2019 – Living in My New House! Presented by Samantha, Brian, and Missy Kichline

Samantha (Sam) Kichline is a young 28 year old woman who was selected from the PUNS waiting list in 2012. She moved from her parents’ home into her “new” home in 2015. And she loves her new home.

Samantha lives in Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA) Host Family – Shared Living model of support in the St. Louis Metro-East area.

Moving from the family home to a new home is a unique journey for each individual and family. In this webinar, Sam and her parents, Brian and Missy, will share their personal experiences; how they prepared, what worked, what was learned, how life is now and what is hoped for the future.

December 11, 2018 – Living Independently at Home – A New Way to Live, Presented by Matt Koupal

Matt Koupal, Luke’s Dad, shares their unique residential planning story. Please view this webinar to learn about their family plan to make it possible for Luke to live independently in the family home.

November 6, 2018 – Living a Real Life in the Community: Annie’s Story!

Annie Niswander is a woman with Down Syndrome who lives in her own home, works, volunteers and has friends and relationships in her community. Vicki Niswander is Annie’s mom, and is the Executive Director of the Illinois Association of Microboards and Cooperatives.

Information that will be covered:
• What does life in the community look like for Annie?
• How did it happen, and how can you make it happen?
• What are the challenges?
• What do we hope for her future?

The Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Services provides funding for a variety of services to qualified individuals with disabilities statewide. Participants in this webinar learned about all of the major services Illinois DRS provides, including:
*Vocation Rehabilitation/Employment Services
*Home Services
*Services for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Blind/Visually Impaired
*Education Services
*Eligibility information for all programs
*Who to call for additional information

This webinar was presented by Erik Hanson. Erik is currently the Manager of the DRS Independent Living Unit. This Unit works to support the 22 Centers for Independent Living throughout the state of Illinois. Prior to that, Erik worked for DRS as a Home Services Counselor, a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, and the Supervisor of the Springfield DRS Field Office. He has a Masters in Counseling, and is a licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.

September 11, 2018 – Community & Residential Services Authority – How They Can Help

Due to the complexity of Illinois’ human service system restrictions, children with severe emotional disabilities are often at risk of being under-served or ignored. The Community and Residential Services Authority (CRSA) helps Illinois families and agencies when their youth with mental health needs are denied access to a recommended plan of care. CRSA is dedicated to aiding the best possible outcomes for at-risk children while at the same time assisting the Illinois legislature in creating responsible legislation to address gaps in the children’s social services systems.

Illinois is the only state in the nation whose legislature had the foresight to create an agency like CRSA. For nearly 31 years, CRSA has helped thousands of Illinois families with children who have emotional and behavioral issues successfully address the complex service challenges facing them. Learn more about this important resource!

Presenter – Debbi Smith. Debbi is the Executive Director of the Community and Residential Services Authority. She has 30 years of experience working with children and adults that have mental illnesses. She holds a Master of Science in Education and Counseling. She is also a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.

Learn about Illinois Imagines, a project directed by self-advocates, disability service agencies, rape crisis centers, and the Illinois Department of Human Services. Celebrating 10+ years, Illinois Imagines focuses on changing Illinois systems on the statewide and local level to better serve people with disabilities who experience sexual violence.

This webinar was presented by Mary Hettel and Krescene Beck. Mary Hettel is a self-advocate and member of both the Illinois Imagines and the Envision Illinois Statewide teams for many years. Mary is passionate about creating systems and developing resources to better support people with disabilities who have experienced sexual and domestic violence.

Krescene Beck is a disability advocate and co-director of Blue Tower Solutions, Inc. She is passionate about the projects she is involved with: The Illinois Self-Advocacy Alliance, Envision Illinois, and Illinois Imagines.

Presented by Curtis Harris and Julie Nelson. Curtis and Julie shared information about supportive housing, a housing option that is affordable, independent housing in the community with individualized supports. They talked about what supportive housing is, how to access it, and where to learn more. Curtis shared his perspective on self-advocates choosing the housing option that is right for them!

Curtis Harris is an activist, organizer, leader, and self-advocate working towards disability rights and autism acceptance. In January 1984, Curtis was the first student to enroll in the newly created autism program in Chicago Public Schools. He is a board member with Chicagoland Autism Connection and has worked with organizations including Access Living, ADAPT, Refuse Fascism, and numerous other working towards civil rights and health care for all.

At CSH, Julie Nelson works to expand supportive housing as an option for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She also works on initiatives focused on using housing as an intervention to improve health.

June 12, 2018 – Universal Design – It’s More Than Large Print and Accessible Restrooms

Presented by Mary Hettel and Krescene Beck. Mary Hettel is a self-advocate and member of both the Illinois Imagines and the Envision Illinois Statewide teams for many years. Mary is passionate about creating systems and developing resources to better support people with disabilities who have experienced sexual and domestic violence. Krescene Beck is a disability advocate and co-director of Blue Tower Solutions, Inc. She is passionate about the projects she is involved with: The Illinois Self-Advocacy Alliance, Envision Illinois, and Illinois Imagines.

Universal Design is an intentional foundation. It works to ensure environments and products can be used and understood by virtually everyone, regardless of their ability. From meeting space to presentations, activities, and handouts, you’ll learn that Universal Design isn’t just for a few people, it’s for everyone!

Presented by Lesley Arizmendi, Staff Attorney at Equip for Equality. Participants learned about:
-rights of individuals under guardianship and during the guardianship process;
-limits of guardianship—what a guardians can and cannot do;
-responsibilities guardians have to observe the rights of their wards; and
-alternatives to guardianships, including supported decision-making, powers of attorney, and mental health advanced directives.
Lesley Arizmendi has been a Staff Attorney at Equip for Equality for the past eight years. She provides legal advocacy to people with disabilities, focusing in the areas of guardianship, abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, mental health, and fundamental rights in institutional and community settings. Lesley earned her JD from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles and her BA in Linguistics from Scripps College in Claremont, California.

Siblings of people with disabilities are often overlooked and sometimes even forgotten. This presentation shares the experience and perspective of siblings of people with disabilities throughout their lives. Resources and information were shared for parents to support their children at various life stages from younger kids to older adults. Presented by Katie Arnold and Amy Halm. Katie Arnold is the Executive Director of the Sibling Leadership Network (SLN), a national nonprofit with state chapters that provides information and support to siblings of people with disabilities throughout the lifespan. Katie also works at the Institute on Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) as the Director of Community Education and plays a leadership role in UIC’s Family Support Research and Training Center. Katie has been involved in the SLN since the organization’s inception in 2007 and a leader of the Supporting Illinois Brothers and Sisters (SIBS) chapter. Her sibling experience has shaped her worldview in many ways. Amy Halm is the Project Manager for the Sibling Leadership Network (SLN) and serves on the Board of Directors of Supporting Illinois Brothers and Sisters (S.I.B.S.) Amy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and graduate of Illinois LEND at UIC. Amy admires her younger sister, Emily, who is a great self-advocate.

This presentation features Sherry Colegrove, IEP Facilitation Coordinator for the Illinois State Board of Education, along with IEP Facilitators Kathryn Cox, Susan Harding, and Michael McElherne. Parents and school personnel sometimes find themselves facing the challenges of needing to communicate and collaborate with others whose opinions and perspectives differ significantly from theirs, especially during Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. The Illinois State Board of Education’s Special Education Division has created an optional and free resource to assist IEP teams in ensuring everyone’s voice is heard. IEP facilitation is a process that helps foster effective communication between parents and districts as they develop a mutually acceptable IEP document.

November 14th, 2017 – Social Capital and Customized Employment – What is Social Capital and Why is it Important for Customized Employment?

This presentation features Marsie Frawley from Griffin-Hammis Associates and Cindi Swanson, The Arc of Illinois.

Employment First and Customized Employment are the first and preferred options for going to work! Discovering the Personal GeniusTM of an individual is the first step towards Customized Employment. Through this process, we learn about the skills, interests, and abilities of the individual, as well as, learning who are their connections to the community and social capital.

October 10th, 2017 – ABLE in Illinois:Five Questions You Need to Get Answered About ABLE with JJ Hanley, Office of the Illinois Treasurer

JJ Hanley, Director for ABLE Illinois, a program of the Illinois Treasurer’s Office, shared information on ABLE in Illinois. JJ Hanley is a parent-advocate and professional who has dedicated much of her career to creating innovative programs that foster economic participation by people with disabilities. Many know JJ as the creative force behind JJsList.com. Participants learned the basics of the program, who qualifies for an ABLE account, when an ABLE account is a good idea, how this account interacts with SSI/SSDI/Medicaid, and where to go to open an account.

Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) works to expand supportive housing as an option for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. CSH advances solutions that use housing as a platform for services to improve the lives of the most vulnerable people, maximize public resources and build healthy communities. In this webinar, CSH shared information about supportive housing, a housing option that is affordable, independent housing in the community with individualized supports. What supportive housing is, how to access it, and where to learn more were covered in this presentation.